Bellingham scored twice in consecutive matches, single-handedly carrying England on his shoulders!

By Han Yixi At the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, where the felt temperature reached 43 degrees Celsius, the quarterfinal between England and Norway took an unexpected turn. The highly anticipated duel between the two star strikers, Haaland and Kane, never materialized, as both players had rather lackluster performances. The spotlight was entirely stolen by Bellingham, who scored twice in the knockout stage for the second consecutive game.

After extra time, the Three Lions eliminated the Nordic Vikings 2-1. The Norwegians' globally popular rowing celebration had no chance to continue, while the English anthem 'Wanderwall' once again echoed through the World Cup stage.

Both teams made slight adjustments to their starting lineups. Norway coach Solbakken rewarded winger Schjelderup, who scored twice as a substitute in the previous round, by starting him in place of Nusa. England coach Tuchel rotated Madueke in for Saka, while Quansah, who was sent off in the last match, failed to have his suspension overturned. The starting right-back was Konsa, marking the fourth different player England have tried in that position this World Cup. Goalkeeper Pickford made his 18th World Cup appearance, surpassing legendary goalkeeper Shilton to become the all-time leader for the national team. Kane, with 17 appearances, is second, and this was his 120th cap for England, tying him with Rooney; only Shilton (125 caps) remains ahead.

'Haaland vs. his teammates' was a hot topic before the match. Three of England's four starting defenders are his Manchester City teammates, while Bellingham was his closest buddy during their time at Borussia Dortmund. A pre-match moment in the tunnel showed Bellingham playfully kicking Haaland's backside, highlighting their close relationship. Meanwhile, Norway's 26-man squad included nine players from the Premier League or Championship, with five starting. Goalkeeper Nyland also previously played for Aston Villa and Norwich. Such familiarity made both sides very cautious at the start; the first shot of the game came only in the 29th minute—a powerful free kick from Harry Kane—which set a record for the latest first shot in this World Cup.

However, after the water break in the first half, the pace of the game noticeably increased. The first goal came in the 36th minute. Haaland's first header was easily collected by Pickford, who then initiated an attack. But Kane was dispossessed in the center circle, and Arsenal midfielder Odegaard took possession and passed to the wing. Schjelderup, on the right side of the box, sent a shot that was either a cross or a shot, which sailed over Pickford's head and hit the far post to go in, giving Norway the lead. The Benfica winger became the U22 player with the second-most direct goal involvements in this World Cup, with 1 goal and 3 assists, trailing only Swiss winger Manzambi (3 goals, 2 assists).

After taking the lead, Norway gained momentum and continued to threaten England's goal. In the 43rd minute, they missed a golden counter-attack opportunity. Odegaard played a through ball from midfield, creating a 2-on-1 situation in front of the box. However, the 2-meter-tall Sorloth hesitated, his hurried shot was blocked, and Haaland, who had run into space, collapsed in despair. It turned out that the Atletico Madrid striker's extremely poor decision would cost Norway dearly.

In the 45th minute, Gordon crossed from the flank. Bellingham, making a run into the box, received the ball at the edge of the penalty area. Surrounded by four Norwegian defenders, he drove forward and swept a shot into the far corner. England's first shot on target equalized the score. Norway coach Solbakken angrily smashed a water bottle on the sideline to express his frustration.

A half-time draw was not what England wanted. In the past five World Cup quarter-finals where they were level at half-time, they advanced only once—back in 1966, their only tournament win, when they drew 0-0 with Argentina before winning 1-0. Moreover, in their last six World Cup knockout matches, they have been eliminated by European teams five times, including the last three: most recently a 1-2 loss to France in 2022, where Kane missed a penalty that could have leveled the score.

Tuchel, who had been widely praised for his tactical adjustments in the previous match against Mexico, once again demonstrated his in-game management. At the start of the second half, he replaced Madueke and Rice, who was clearly not in form, with Saka and Eze—all four players are from Arsenal. In the 71st minute, he brought on Reece James to replace the exhausted Gordon, with James playing as a defensive midfielder, and moved Eze to left winger. The most crucial changes came in the dying moments of regular time: in the 86th and 89th minutes, he substituted Spence and Rogers for O'Riley and Konsa, moving James back to right-back.

In the 86th minute, Saka dribbled past two defenders on the flank and crossed, but Kane, arriving a step too late, missed the chance. In the final stages, Spence pressed high up the pitch and nearly deflected Nyland's clearance into the goal. Gradually regaining composure, England showed stronger attacking intent than Norway in the latter part of the match. Their efforts paid off at the very start of extra time: Rogers unleashed a long-range shot from outside the box, Nyland fumbled the save, and Bellingham alertly pounced on the rebound to score. The entire sequence was reminiscent of the goal scored by Spanish midfielder Merino the previous night.

This was Bellingham's sixth goal of the World Cup, tying him with teammate Harry Kane. He has now scored seven goals across two World Cups, equaling the record of the legendary Pelé among U23 players, trailing only Mbappé, who is far ahead with 12 goals. With 6 goals and 3 assists, he has directly contributed to 9 goals in World Cup matches. Since records began in 1966, only Kane (25 goals) and Beckham (14 goals) have been better for England. Notably, all six of his goals this tournament have come from open play, matching the record set by Gary Lineker in 1986 for the most goals by an English player in a single World Cup. Additionally, Bellingham became the first player since Diego Maradona in 1986 to score at least two goals in consecutive knockout matches, and the youngest to achieve such a feat since Pelé (17 years, 249 days) in 1958, at 23 years and 12 days old.

In the 99th minute, Spence dribbled past two players before being tripped by former Manchester City winger Bob. Although VAR overturned the referee's penalty decision, the trailing Norway could no longer mount any effective attacks. Haaland, who had engaged in physical battles throughout the match, was substituted off in the 105th minute. His streak of consecutive goals in official international matches ended at 14, signaling the end of Norway's dark horse run in this tournament.

Bellingham, who scored twice in consecutive matches, unsurprisingly won the Man of the Match award for the fourth time this World Cup. After the grueling battle in the high altitude of Mexico in the previous round and with most of his teammates underperforming—especially captain Harry Kane, who was clearly below his usual standard—Bellingham almost single-handedly led the team into the semifinals. In four days, they will face Messi's Argentina in Atlanta.